Heart and Soul
by cronashy-absentia
Summary: SoMa Week 2015 collection, consisting of AUs and canonverse oneshots for Soul and Maka. All my entries for SoMa week are in here: Day 1: Geeking Out. Day 2: Cuddles. Day 3: Catharsis. Day 4: Dragons. Day 5: Night Swimming. Day 6: Worth It. Day 7: Coming of Age. Hope you enjoy! Let the shipping begin!
1. Geeking Out

**Happy SoMa week, everybody! (Well, I'm writing this back in March, but by the time I post it, it'll be SoMa week.) I'm gonna try to be original with these prompts, though some might come out cliché… But I try to make my stories original and give my own meaning to the prompts I'm given. If it's not what you thought it would be, then good. That means that I'm successful.**

**Anyway, this first oneshot's gonna have two major references. If you get one of them, I applaud you. If you get both, you'll get digital cookies :D *I disclaim* I don't own Soul Eater or anything I reference in this fic.**

**SoMa Week 2015**

**Day 1: Geeking Out**

* * *

Description: Soul experiences a motorcycle crash that leaves him bedridden and will keep him in the hospital for a few days. To pass the time, Maka convinces him to read a book called _From Shadows_, which he reluctantly ends up loving.

* * *

It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Well, in all actuality it had never seemed like a good idea, but Soul was never one to back down from a challenge. Neither was he one to question the fact that said challenge might be a health hazard.

"C'mon, Soul! You can do it!" Cheered Black*Star, waving his arms wildly. Both he and Kid stood at the top of the stairs leading up to the DWMA.

Kid looked down the steps at Soul, who was at the end of the next block with his motorcycle. "You know, Black*Star," Began the young Reaper, "I've been making some mental calculations, and I'm pretty sure that these stairs are too steep for his bike to climb."

Black*Star blew his friend off. "Nah, Soul'll be fine," He smirked, "Besides, I dared him, so he's gotta at least try."

Soul backed up as far as he thought he needed to in order to get enough momentum. He looked towards Black*Star and Kid, grinning with pointed teeth as he shot them a thumbs-up. After Black*Star returned the gesture, Soul diverted his eyes to the road. He revved his engine loudly so that it echoed throughout the streets, and his tires screeched beneath him as he took off towards the stairs.

* * *

"For the love of all things dead, what the heck were you trying to do?!" Screamed Maka, causing Soul's head to ring.

"He was tryin' to see if he could get up the Academy's steps on his bike," Explained Black*Star, who conveniently left out the fact that he had dared him to do so.

Stein sighed, shifting through x-ray slides in his lab chair nearby. "I also wonder what you boys were thinking when you brought him into the school instead of simply calling an ambulance," He muttered.

Kid crossed his arms over his chest. "It's because we were already at the Academy. Besides, you're the best doctor we know."

Stein couldn't resist a smirk. "That's true," He said, wheeling his lab chair across the dispensary and over to Soul's gurney. "But even with my honed skills, I'm afraid that Soul here will be bedridden for the next three days. That leg needs time to heal."

Soul scowled a little. "Dang it," He growled.

Maka huffed. "It's your own fault for being stupid," She snapped, trying to hide her concern. She had been in town when Kid called her to say that her boyfriend had been in a bike crash. The blonde meister had then been sent into a panic, running to the Academy before Kid even told her that Soul would certainly live.

"And then he'll only be able to walk on crutches for a month," Stein continued, "And then with a cast for another month."

Black*Star scratched the back of his head. "Wow. Harsh," He looked towards Soul. "Sorry, man."

Soul shot him a sideways glare, not saying anything.

Stein observed the scene for a moment, but then he clicked his tongue and broke the tense silence. "Well, you three should be heading home," He said, pointing at Kid, Black*Star, and Maka. The two boys nodded, but Maka lingered.

"See ya later, Soul," Called Black*Star as he stepped out the door, "I'll visit ya a lot! You're sure to heal up quick simply basking in the radiance of a star like me-!"

Kid grabbed Black*Star's collar, dragging him into the hallway. "We'll see you tomorrow, Soul," He said casually, pulling Black*Star down the hall. The latter could still he heard proclaiming his greatness as his voice gradually faded with distance.

Stein stood from his chair and walked over to the corded phone on the desk. "I'll stay here, Soul," He mumbled, "In the teacher's longue, in case you need anything. But I need to call Marie, or she'll start panicking if I don't get home soon…"

Maka sighed, turning back to Soul. "I've got to go," She murmured, leaning over to kiss Soul's forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow, all right?"

Soul smiled a little. "All right, Maka," He said. "Love ya."

A small blush spread across Maka's cheeks as she straightened up, but it was joined with a smile as she replied, "Love you too."

* * *

Soul managed to survive the first of three nights that involved sleeping in the same building as a serial dissector. In fact, when Maka brought a change of clothes the next morning, she found her weapon and boyfriend suffering more from boredom than a broken leg.

"There's _nothing _to do," Soul groaned, staring at the ceiling. "Since I woke up, I've been doing nothing but counting the tiles on the ceiling. There's forty-two of them. I checked. Six times."

Maka hummed a little to herself as she unpacked the backpack that she had brought for Soul. "Well, I think that you'll like what I got you then," She smiled, drawing out a small wrapped rectangle from the bag. "It's a get-well-soon gift."

Soul raised an eyebrow as he pulled himself upright and took the gift in his hands. He could only think of one thing that fit that size and shape, but Maka knew him well enough that she'd never get him something like… That… Yep. She got him that.

"A book?" Soul mumbled after he had torn off the wrapping paper and ribbon.

Maka nodded cheerily. "Yep! It's one of my favorites; you'll love it!" She beamed.

Soul bared his fangs slightly like an agitated animal as he looked over the front cover. The illustration was of a black cat standing over a sword on the ground below it, and the title above it read "_From Shadows._"

"Looks lame," Muttered Soul.

Maka scoffed a little. "C'mon, give it a chance! It's got a really cool plot. It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

"Sounds familiar," Retorted Soul, causing his meister to roll her eyes.

"Well, it's all you've got for entertainment right now," She replied. "Your phone was in your pocket during the crash, and it smashed to bits. That's something else that's your fault," She snapped. "So you can either count the ceiling tiles again, or you can read the book. It's your choice," She said.

Soul unceremoniously dropped the book on the bedside table. "Not a chance. I'd rather stare at the ceiling than read and be a geek like you," He shot back.

Maka's glare intensified. Her expression had gone beyond the pouty look that Soul considered cute and had become indignant. "Fine!" She snapped. "Then you can be free of 'geeks like me' for the rest of the day then! I won't bother you!" She yelled before storming out the dispensary door, not even saying goodbye. Soul flinched.

"_Great. I made her mad,_" He muttered to himself. He glanced down at the book once again. "_I might read it… Just to make her happy_," He thought with a sigh, picking up the book and setting it in his lap once more. "_But reading's still for geeks._"

With those conflicting thoughts, Soul flipped open the book to the first page and began to read _From Shadows._

* * *

As much as Soul hated to admit it, the book was pretty good. The writing was done well, the plot was intriguing, and there was just enough romance and comedy to be interesting while not overpowering the overall dark tone of the novel.

"HEYA SOUL!"

Soul jumped a little at Black*Star's outburst, rapidly shoving the book under his pillow as the young narcissist threw open the door and stomped in.

"Maka said to bring you lunch!" He proclaimed, jumping on Soul's bed and harshly jostling his leg. Soul yelped a little at the pain, but Black*Star didn't seem to notice. "She also said that Stein'll bring you your homework this afternoon."

Soul winced, both in the pain from his leg and from Black*Star's words. "So she's mad enough that she couldn't come and tell me herself, huh?" He mumbled.

Black*Star shrugged as he handed him his lunch. "Yeah, looks like," He said. "What did you say to her, man? You know your girlfriend holds grudges."

The red-eyed scythe shook his head passively. "Not important," He mumbled.

Black*Star looked like he was about to say more, but Soul roughly shoved him off the bed.

"Now leave me alone to eat," Snapped the scythe. His friend raised an eyebrow.

"What's your deal, Soul?" He asked, "I just got here. Besides, I see you eat all the time."

Soul narrowed his eyes. "Out," He growled. The blue-haired ninja looked confused for another moment, but then shrugged and walked out the door again, closing it behind him. Soul immediately pulled _From Shadows _out from under his pillow, picked up where he left off, and remained engrossed in the work as he ate his lunch.

This happened multiple times. Whenever someone would come in, Soul would instantly hide his book and get his guests out as soon as possible. Each thought his behavior seemed odd, but the red-eyed scythe never gave anyone the opportunity to question him. It disappointed him that Maka didn't show up for the rest of that day, but he distracted himself with his book, which grew more captivating by the page.

"Just one more chapter," Soul yawned to himself as he turned the next page. The sun had set a while ago, leaving him to read by the light of the small lamp on the bedside table. However, upon flipping the page, Soul was met with those dreaded words that every reader has encountered:

_TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK 2_

Soul paled. That couldn't be right. They had been leading up to something. It couldn't just cut off like that. He checked the last page a couple of times, making sure he had read that right and his fatigued eyes weren't just playing tricks on him. But No matter how many times he looked over the page, the words were still there.

Soul growled in exasperation, flopping backwards onto his pillow. Or at least he tried. He ended up accidentally slamming his head into the bedframe, after which he proceeded to swear loudly before curling up on his pillow and groaning in pain.

Still grimacing at throbbing sensation in his head, the white-haired scythe pulled open one eye to check the wall clock. Upon seeing that it read three a.m., he groaned again.

"I stayed up all night reading a book…" He grumbled to himself, closing his eyes once again. Suddenly, they snapped open. "I've been turned into a geek!" Exclaimed the teen, jolting upright. He looked down at the book that had fallen to the floor. With a gasp of fright, Soul quickly leaned over to pick it up, wiped the dust off of it, and set it carefully on the bedside table. He sighed a little with relief that his precious piece of literature wasn't beat up or scratched, but then stiffened. "Very geek…" He gulped.

With another sigh, Soul carefully slid back under his covers. His leg smarted slightly, causing him to grimace, but it subsided once he stopped moving and laid on his back. Rubbing his eyes a little, he yawned again.

"Hopefully it's just 'cause I'm tired," He murmured as his eyes drifted closed.

Within minutes, Soul was sound asleep, dreaming of a man with two souls.

* * *

"He's really tired. You didn't drug him, did you?"

"Don't give me that look. He's fine; I promise I didn't drug him."

At first, the voices came to Soul as if he was underwater. But upon a harsh punch to the arm, he was jerked into full consciousness.

"Ow!" He cried, swiftly sitting upright. He glared at Stein, who was only then pulling his fist back. "What's your deal?!"

Stein twisted his bolt a couple notches, casually pulling away from Soul on his office chair. "See? Not drugged," He stated.

Soul bared his teeth at Stein's retreating form, until he remembered the other voice he had heard. He turned, directing his attention to the end of the bed, where Maka stood with crossed arms. He shied back a little; she looked like a cat getting ready to claw someone, and he couldn't tell if the frustration was directed at him or Stein.

"Did you read the book at all?" She snapped. "Or did you sit there and start counting the floor tiles too because you're a stubborn idiot?"

Soul sighed; she was still mad at him. He glanced at the book on the bedside table, and then quietly mumbled, "I finished it."

Maka raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" She asked.

Soul groaned a little, pulling _From Shadows_ off the table and holding it out to her. "I need book two," He said, trying to portray nonchalance, despite the fact that his inner fanboy was hopping all over the place at the prospect of the next book.

His girlfriend seemed confused for another moment. Upon realizing what her partner meant, however, Maka's eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before a knowing smirk spread across her pink lips. "You read the whole thing, didn't you?"

Soul's eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze back to his lap, but he replied with a quiet, "Maybe."

Maka suppressed the urge to giggle at her sullen weapon. "What's your opinion on James?" She asked him a question about one of the book characters, teasing him a little.

Without hesitation, Soul replied, "He's a jerk, but he's got fighting potential. I think he actually really likes Knox and depends on him, though. And I know they're friends, no matter how much they try to act like they hate each other." There was a small moment of silence, during which even Stein stared at Soul with a confused look on his face. Soul wondered for a moment why he was looking at him like that, but then his face turned as red as his eyes. He growled, burying his face in his hands. Maka laughed.

"So it was good?" She managed between fits of laughter.

Despite his grumpy disposition, Soul found himself smiling at his meister's mirth. "Yeah," He said, sitting upright again to look at her as he walked so she was standing next to him.

"Well then," Grinned Maka after her laughs had subsided. She pulled her backpack off of her shoulders before unzipping it and grabbing something from within. "I just went to the library and got the second book," She told him. "I was going to go home and read it, but maybe we can read it together? Since it's Saturday."

Soul made a sound that sounded like a sigh of defeat, even though it took all of his willpower – and his injured leg – to keep him from jumping up and down in excitement. He held his arm out for Maka to sit next to him, and she obliged quickly, making sure to avoid touching his leg.

"Who's your favorite character?" She asked. Soul smirked while he opened up the front cover.

"Luca. He's really cool," He said, and then questioned, "Who's yours?

As Maka told him exactly why June was the best character in _From Shadows_, Soul found himself watching the way her lips moved. Usually when his meister began rambling about her books, he tended to tune her out. Today, however, Soul found himself being drawn to her. Perhaps it was because he finally understood what she was talking about, but for some reason, her spiel wasn't annoying that day.

Maka abruptly cut off as Soul's lips pressed against hers. She smiled, kissing him back. They each relaxed into the kiss until Soul pulled away after a moment, smirking.

"You're real cute when you're geeking out," He chuckled. Maka stuck her tongue out at him, causing Soul to go from a chuckle to a laugh. "Relax, Maka," He said, poking her nose a little, "I'm a geek too."

The blonde's frown faded, and she chuckled a little as well before turning her gaze down to the book in her hands. She opened to page one, and the two fell silent as they read together.

* * *

**Lots of line breaks in this one; sorry :P I was trying to keep the story as brief as possible, since this one had a lot of opportunities to go off on tangents. And I'm sorry to say that "From Shadows" is fictional… Anywayz, see ya next chapter, guys!**


	2. Cuddles

**Prepare for fluff. *I don't own Soul Eater* Also, keep in mind that these fics are nonlinear, so Soul and Maka's relationship will change from prompt to prompt. *I disclaim* I don't own Soul Eater. Review, favorite, follow, and/or just be awesome. You're good at that.**

**SoMa Week 2015**

**Day 2: Cuddles**

* * *

Summary: It's unusually chilly in Death City, and Blair's taken all the blankets to work for her clients. When an ice storm hits and the power goes out, Soul and Maka are left freezing with only one blanket between them.

* * *

Winter didn't frequently visit Death City, Nevada. Often, if a chance cold front happened to move in, it only lasted for a single week in January or February. As a result, white Christmases were unheard of among those born and raised in the Reaper's city. So no one really had any winter clothes, coats, or hats. Death forbid that anyone should own snow-boots. The entire city all but completely shut down during the rare week of winter, because no one wanted to go outside in the "freezing" weather of forty-five degrees Fahrenheit.

Soul shivered under his comforter. For the past two winters he had lived in the Reaper's city, the temperature hadn't dropped under fifty degrees. However, it had abruptly dropped to below forty overnight.

"You'd think it'd be warm in the desert," Grumbled Soul to himself as he wrapped himself in his blankets like a human burrito. "But no. I'm lucky enough to be experiencing the first winter this place has seen in six years. Stupid weather-HEY!" He yelped, for suddenly his blankets had been ripped off of him. He sat upright, glaring at the culprit.

Blair stood next to his bed, wearing a long-sleeved fur-lined crop top with shorts and boots of the same material. She barely even glanced at Soul as she used her magic to shrink his blankets before putting them in a shopping bag she carried.

"Blair!" Snapped Soul, grabbing his last blanket: a moss-green fleece. "What the heck are you doing?!"

Blair looked at Soul as if what she was doing was obvious. "I'm taking your blankets," She stated, yanking on the last blanket. Soul yanked right back.

"No way! It's freezing!" He protested.

Blair stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. "But I need them!" She shouted, stomping her boot for emphasis. "It's gonna get really cold today, and the customers at Chupa Cabra's are gonna get cold too! So I'm gonna bring blankets!"

Maka walked into Soul's room, leaning against the doorframe. Wearing an oversized sweater and gym shorts, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What on earth is going on?" She mumbled. Soul paused a second to look at the endearing image that was his sleepy meister. Despite her diligence to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every school day, Maka Albarn would stay in bed until ten on the weekends. Soul could never figure out how she got that to work, seeing as his circadian rhythm prevented him from getting to sleep before twelve and forced him to rise like a vampire into the sunlight every morning.

"Soul's being a meanie!" Exclaimed Blair, causing Soul to avert his gaze from Maka to glare at Blair again.

"Am not!" He argued as if he were six. "Maka, Blair's taking my blankets!"

Maka rolled her eyes. "It's too early for me to be breaking up toddler fights…" She muttered.

Blair stomped her boot again. "I need to take these blankets to Chupa Cabra's because I know it's gonna get really cold!" She defended herself. "I can smell it!"

Maka looked at her as quizzically as she could with drooping eyelids. "So you'd rather your customers be warm than us?" She asked.

Blair shrugged in response, to which Maka groaned. "Look, last night the weather channel said that it would stay around forty degrees today. I don't think it's going to get that cold, so we shouldn't need the blankets," She told her cat, "But give Soul his comforter back. Really; if you need that many, you can have mine."

Blair instantly let go of Soul's blanket, causing him to fall backwards onto the bed. "Then I'll get yours and all the others!" Mewed the magical cat before she skipped out the door and down the hall to Maka's room.

Soul curled into a ball on his bed, hugging his pillow to him. Maka hated to admit it, but he looked almost adorable in that position. With his white hair sticking out like tiny spikes, he resembled a defensive hedgehog.

"Turn up the heater," Muttered the scythe into his pillow. "This apartment's got to be at least seventy degrees before I get out of this bed again."

Maka picked up a pillow from the floor and threw it at him. Soul simply took the blow, thankful that his meister didn't have any books on hand.

"You're going to help pay for the heating bill," She shot at him.

Soul nodded, nuzzling his face against the fabric. "Whatever," He replied curtly.

* * *

Blair departed for work soon after, leaving the apartment with only one blanket. Maka didn't seem bothered at all by that fact, and continuously reminded Soul that the weather channel predicted that the temperature would stay much the same throughout the day. Even so, nothing stopped the scythe from complaining all day that the weather was "too cold for humanity."

"You didn't even grow up in the desert," Stated Maka, reading a book on the couch after breakfast. "You should be more used to colder temperatures."

"Just 'cause I'm used to it doesn't mean I like it," Argued Soul as he loaded the dishwasher.

Neither Soul nor Maka left the house all day, after the carried decision to call it a "lazy day" and to simply loaf around the apartment. Maka finished a good book, and Soul caught up on a favorite TV series of his before playing video games.

However, the temperature steadily dropped throughout the day. After dinner, Maka looked out the window and frowned.

"There's a lot of clouds gathering," She murmured, "It looks like it might rain."

Soul shrugged as he sat down in front of the TV again. "Better than snow," He replied.

While it's a fact that rain is certainly not as destructive as snow, the tables turn on their heads when it's cold enough that the rain becomes freezing rain.

The oncoming storm soon pounded upon the streets and buildings of Death City, and the falling water instantly froze the second it hit anything solid. Sidewalks became slick and power lines began to be weighed down from the weight of the ice. After an hour of rain, cables began snapping one after the other. Death City rapidly started losing power.

Soul was rinsing out his toothbrush after brushing his teeth for the evening when the water suddenly stopped running, and the lights cut out at the same moment.

Maka squeaked slightly upon being startled by the TV switching itself off, along with the living room lights. The sound of the heater rapidly winding down echoed throughout the apartment, informing the two residents that they were without power in an ice storm.

"Maka!" Called Soul, groping his way through the dark bathroom. He stubbed his toe on the toilet before finding the doorknob and turning it.

The blonde meister had managed to navigate to the kitchen and had found the small drawer that held the emergency flashlight. She flicked it on, shining it into the hallway, where it caught in Soul's eye.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed quickly, directing the light away from Soul's face after his arm came up to shield his eyes.

Soul sighed. "'S fine," He mumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest after bringing the one down from his face. "Looks like Blair was right."

Maka nodded. "Looks like," She agreed. She shone the light on the wall clock in the living room, checking the time. "It's already eight o'clock… It's only going to get colder as the night wears on," She said.

Soul shivered. "Great," He muttered, but his frown rapidly left his face upon seeing his meister shiver as well. Wordlessly, he turned around and walked back to his room.

Maka had one arm wrapped around herself, the other holding the flashlight as goose bumps formed on her pale arms. "It's going to get really cold really fast in here," She said to Soul, but upon realizing that he had retreated, she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you doing?" She asked. A _thud_ was heard, followed by Soul loudly cursing his desk. "Soul?" Maka called again, carefully treading down the hallway. Soul emerged from his room after a moment, carrying his comforter.

"It's the only blanket left in the house, remember?" He said. Maka's shoulders drooped.

"Oh… So, you'll be warm then," She smiled a little bit, but directed her gaze towards the floor. At least the boy she cared about would be comfortable, she thought as she tried to convince herself that she'd be fine without central heating. However, she snapped her head upward when she felt Soul drape the blanket over her shoulders.

"No," He said plainly, "_You'll_ be warm."

Maka's eyes widened. All throughout the day, Soul had been complaining about being cold. But now that they were actually without any heat at all, he had given his last blanket to her.

Soul turned away, rubbing the back of his head idly. He couldn't hide the chill that crept through his body that caused him to vibrate like a bass speaker, though. Seeing this, the surprise drained from Maka's face as she set her jaw. She reached a hand out, grabbing Soul's palm before dragging him down the hallway.

"Hey! What gives?" Exclaimed the red-eyed weapon. Maka didn't reply until she sat down on the couch and pulled Soul down next to her.

"You're cold too," She stated, holding the blanket out in one arm and wrapping it around Soul. Blushes spread across both of their faces at Maka's action, but Soul coolly put his arm around her as well.

The two sat in silence for a while. Gradually, Maka scooted into Soul's lap. Soul pulled the blanket around the both of them, holding Maka tight as they shared their warmth. No words were shared, but both understood that they were cuddling out of necessity.

The necessity to preserve warmth, and the necessity to hold each other tight. The latter had been put off for far too long.

* * *

Blair didn't get home until after the power came back on, which happened around eleven that night.

"I told ya that I'd need these blankets!" Proclaimed the magical cat as she stepped through the apartment door. But when she heard soft snoring, she instantly quieted. Stepping with the total silence that only a cat could master, she crept into the living room. Blair's ears flicked forward as she examined the sight before her.

Soul was lying on his back on the couch, Maka on top of him, with the white-haired scythe's comforter draped across them as the two slept.

Blair smirked as she walked into the hallway to put the blankets back on their beds and in the hall closet.

"Knew that would work," She giggled to herself.

* * *

**So it was Blair's idea all along… She's a clever kitty ;) Well this one's a lot shorter than the last one. Tell me: Do my readers like the shorter ones or the longer ones? Next chap should be fun; I'll see you then!**


	3. Catharsis

**This is the one I had the most trouble with. Still, I think it turned out okay. Review and favorite/follow to tell me what you think! *I disclaim* I don't own Soul Eater.**

**Soma Week 2015**

**Day 3: Catharsis**

* * *

Description: Soul's unrequited love for Maka is becoming an obsession. Fear and stubbornness prevent him from admitting those feelings, so he bottles them up inside his soul. But when the bottle becomes so full that it shatters, Maka must do everything she can to put the pieces back together, and overcome her own fear in the process.

* * *

It was a rhythm, yet, at the same time, it set his entire mind offbeat. It seemed simple enough. It was just thoughts, changing slightly every time, but each carrying that repeating beat. A beat that was a single word, a small note. However small it was, the note was what started the rhythm, and was the only thing that could end it. That small word.

_Maka._

It pounded through Soul's head, day and night. His dreams were filled with that note. It was loud, but soft. Fierce, but gentle. The note was so many things, and each was precious and too beautiful for Soul to let it falter.

_I love Maka._

He loved everything about his note. He loved how she was like a fire; as warm and inviting as a hearth, but with enough energy and fury to rival a forest blaze. So Soul's note was three things: a note, a fire, and a girl; all one in the same.

_But she doesn't love me._

Soul's note was both his nightmare and his dream. On the one hand, her warmth drew him closer. But on the other hand, it repelled him, because he knew that note wasn't his. She didn't play for him, and she never would. His note didn't want someone to protect her; she was strong and independent. When he shielded her, she would work harder so as not to need shielding the next time.

_I can never tell her I love her._

And so the note played on. Over and over it repeated itself, pounding into Soul's mind. A note he could never grasp, never hold. It worked itself into his every thought, leaving him without a moment's peace. Every waking hour, and every time he closed his eyes, the note remained, repeated every measure or so in its incomprehensible symphony.

It was driving Soul mad.

One day he snapped.

* * *

It may have been Maka's imagination at first, but after a week, it became obvious that Soul was avoiding her. She would hear him muttering in his sleep, although whenever she tried to talk to him about it, he became cold and harsh. The blonde had inevitably given up. As a result, she had begun to leave the apartment in the afternoons and on weekends to avoid confrontation with her weapon.

It was on one such afternoon that Maka's cell phone rang unexpectedly. Curious, she pulled the phone from her jacket pocket and picked up the call.

"Hi, Kid," She said. "What's up?"

"Maka," Kid spoke quietly and slowly, and Maka immediately stiffened. She knew that whenever Kid used that tone, no good came out of his mouth. "Are you sitting down?"

Maka gulped. "N-no," She said, but quickly seated herself on a park bench. "Now I am. What's wrong?"

She heard Kid take a deep breath. "Soul…" He began slowly, causing Maka's breath to hitch in her throat and her eyes to widen.

"Soul killed someone."

Maka's stomach turned upside-down as all the color drained from her face. Her heartbeat sped up to erratic levels and her entire body began shaking.

"He's okay," Added Kid quickly, but his words did nothing to calm her. "Black*Star was nearby and nullified him before he could do any more damage. He's in a cell in the Academy now."

Maka had dropped her phone, which shattered into pieces upon the pavement. Her feet carried her quicker than she thought possible as she ran towards the DWMA.

"_Soul killed someone_," She told herself, but the sound of her pounding heart nearly drowned out her own thoughts. "_Did he go mad? Or was it an accident? What happened to him?!_" She wanted to scream, but her mouth and throat were too dry. The only sound that came from her lips was ragged breathing while she ran wildly.

After clearing the stairs faster than she had previously thought possible, Maka burst into the Academy. She shoved aside teachers in her haste to make it to the basement.

Stein glanced up as he heard hurried footsteps rushing towards him, right before Maka turned a corner and ran into him. The mad doctor didn't even budge.

"You're going to get yourself hurt if you run like that," He mumbled nonchalantly. Maka whipped her face upward, wide eyes brimming with tears.

"Where's Soul?!" She shouted. She didn't expect to be met with a voice from the cell that stood in front of Stein.

"In here," Chuckled a familiar yet foreign voice.

Maka went rigid. She turned around slowly, horror plastered on her face. "S… Soul?" She whispered.

The voice chuckled again from, a deep baritone laugh that was devoid of humor. "The one and only," He said. Maka stepped forward, slowly placing her hands on the solid metal cell door. All of her motions had suddenly gone from rapid and rushed to slow and tentative. There was a small, barred window near the top of the door, and when standing on her toes, Maka could see through it. She took one small glimpse, but then recoiled in horror and rapidly set her heels back on the floor.

Soul's jacket was stained with blood that wasn't his. His wrists were chained to the wall, and there was a shock collar around his neck that Maka recognized as one that would prevent him from entering his weapon form. An unnatural grin spread across his face, and his dilated pupils signified his madness.

"Scared?" Breathed Soul. "I can still feel your soul, Maka. It's shaking like a leaf," He grinned.

Stein exhaled a puff of smoke. "He hasn't talked since Black*Star found him, although I'm not really surprised that he's talking to you," He said. "Apparently Soul and one of your neighbors both left their apartment around the same time. From what Black*Star got out of him, Soul just attacked the guy unprovoked."

"Oh, it was provoked," Soul objected. "But that guy didn't provoke me. I just needed to let off some steam," He said. "Maka provoked me."

Stein raised an eyebrow as he looked towards Maka, but the blonde didn't notice.

"Soul," She whispered quietly, watching the floor. "What did I do? I know I was a little cruel to you recently, but that's not enough to drive you mad-!" She ended in a yelp as Soul's chains clanged harshly. At the same moment, Stein grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back.

"You EXIST!" Soul yelled, jumping up and pulling on his chains so that they became taught. "That's it! You EXIST!" Screamed Soul. "I can't handle the fact that you're not mine! You'll never be mine! You hate men!"

Maka stared at the cell door, stepping from Stein's protective grip before placing her hands on the door again.

"But you're always there," Soul's voice dropped, and his chains became slack again. "Always in my mind. Like a repeating note," He murmured. "Knowing that you're always there, and you care for me, but you'll never love me like I love you… That's enough to drive a man mad, Maka."

The blonde pressed her forehead to the door, tears spilling out of her eyes. "Soul," She whimpered. She had never realized that her partner felt that way about her. "Was that… Why you were avoiding me?" In a way, it felt strange to ask about something Soul had done in the past, because of how different the boy in the cell was from her Soul. It almost seemed like they were two entirely different people.

"Yes," Soul answered. "And all that tension… I had to let it out on something." He began chuckling again. "So I killed a man in a catharsis of emotion. Just for a little peace of mind, you know? I needed to release that emotion somehow."

Maka's fist clenched. "That's no reason to kill a man," She murmured. "You could've just talked to me."

Soul chuckled once more. "I just did, didn't I? I'm insane, Maka," He chortled. "No way I would've confessed my love to you in my right mind. I was waiting for you to make the first move. 'Course…" The laughter drained from his voice. "I would've been waiting forever. So I snapped. You see what happened: I got tired of waiting. You were never going to tell me you love me because you don't."

Maka took a deep breath, and then pushed herself off the door. "Let me in there," She told Stein. The doctor shook his head.

"Not a chance," He said. "He just killed someone. He's dangerous."

The blonde set her jaw. "Not to me," She said firmly. Stein frowned as he looked into her eyes, but her timidity was gone. Instead, her green irises emanated strength. Stein sighed, giving in.

"Here," He said, pulling the key from his pocket. Maka quickly grabbed it and used it to throw open the cell door. She stopped immediately, however. Soul was much closer now than he had been last time she looked in the cell; now he was at the end of his chains and just a few feet away from the door.

A grin spread across Soul's face.

"Come to join me?" He asked. "Sorry, but I think it's too late to friendzone me again."

Maka's fists clenched at her sides. "Would you quit focusing on yourself and grow up for a minute?" She snapped.

The grin fell from Soul's face. "That's new," He said. "What happened to your shakiness, blondie?"

"Blondie" pulled her head upward to glare straight at Soul. "You should've just quit being a stubborn, stuck-up idiot and tried to show that you had emotions before now!" She yelled.

Soul's gaze hardened. "I didn't want you to reject me!" He shot back. "It would've wrecked everything, Maka!"

"Well now you're stuck in here and in chains!" Screamed Maka. "That's beyond wrecked! We both would've been so much better off if you had just told me how you felt before!"

"I already told you I COULDN'T!" Shouted Soul. "I was AFRAID, all right?! Afraid of how you'd react! Afraid of what would happen to our partnership! Afraid of what you'd think of me! I was tired of that fear! So now I'm a basket case and I DON'T HAVE TO FEEL THAT STINKIN' FEAR ANYMORE!" He cried at the top of his lungs.

It was only then that he felt Maka's arms around him. She was shaking again, her embrace wrapped tightly around his chest. She whispered something inaudible, so soft that Soul couldn't even hear it with her lips right next to his ear.

"What did you say?" He growled.

Maka's grip tightened, and Soul felt wet drips on his collarbone. She took a deep breath before repeating herself; "I'm sorry that I did this to you," She whispered.

The harshness fell from Soul's face, but he remained frowning. "I'm listening," He hissed.

The weight on his shoulder lifted as Maka pulled back to face him. "I was afraid, too."

Soul froze. "… What?" He said slowly. But instead of speaking, Maka closed her eyes and placed her hand on his chest. Soul glared at her slightly, but was suddenly hit with a wave of emotion that he was unprepared for. It felt like Soul Resonance, but only halfway. He was doing nothing to Maka's wavelength, yet she was continually pouring her emotions into his soul, sending her gentle wavelength crashing into his insane cadence.

He felt everything, and now he knew; she had felt exactly the same.

Maka was better at pushing things down, building walls, and keeping things hidden. As a result, when she began to have feelings for her weapon, she had buried it. She tried not to think about it, and didn't let it affect her. She told herself continuously that he was just another guy, and they weren't to be trusted, but Soul's actions disproved that. He was special. He was the most perfect weapon in the world, and the only boy she could ever trust to protect her heart.

Yet she had been afraid. Afraid of how he'd react. Afraid of what would happen to their partnership. Afraid of what he'd think of her.

So Maka denied those feelings and had tried to forget. But now she had no choice; if she was going to save her partner, she needed to show him what she had hidden.

Once she felt she was done, the blonde looked up towards Soul again. His eyes were closed, and his head was bowed to the floor. Maka stiffened. "Soul?" She said quickly, shaking him slightly. "Soul? What's wrong?"

"Calm down," Muttered Stein, walking up behind Maka. Pulling another key from his pocket, he began to undo Soul's binds and collar. Maka took a step back, confused.

"Why are you…?"

"Can't you feel it?" Stein interrupted her. "His soul. The madness is gone."

Maka gasped as Soul fell to the ground when Stein undid the final chain that held him up. Maka knelt down quickly, cradling Soul's head in her lap. Expanding her Soul Perception, she sensed it. Stein had spoken the truth; his soul was normal and sane.

Maka sighed with relief, smiling for the first time in what felt like ages. However, as Soul's eyes fluttered open, Maka's smile dropped.

"_Some people don't remember what happens after they go mad,_" She remembered. "_Will he remember any of that? That he told me he loved me? That I admitted that I loved him back?_" She wondered while Soul's gaze gradually focused on her face.

They looked into each other's eyes for a minute in silence, while Stein tried to seem like he wasn't watching intently.

"… Maka," Soul slowly formed her name on his lips, and she found herself smiling again when she heard his voice unaltered by madness. "I…" He began, but stopped abruptly. He reached his hand up cautiously, before brushing his fingers across her forehead and bangs. "I love you," He finished.

Maka sighed with relief; he hadn't forgotten. She leaned down, kissing his lips gently. "I love you too," She told him. Soul smiled up at her.

They were no longer a note and a discord, a melody and a lone measure.

They were two harmonies, and each completed and needed the other.

* * *

**Was that catharsis-y enough for you? This thing was hard to do. Next is easier: "Dragons" should be fun to write ;) I'll see you tomorrow!**


	4. Dragons

**This should be fun. And unique. I'm taking a bit of liberty here in my definition of "Dragons," but I hope this'll be entertaining for you :) *I disclaim* I don't own Soul Eater, or Avatar, for that matter.**

**SoMa Week 2015**

**Day 4: Dragons**

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Description: Avatar The Last Airbender AU. Soul is a Firebender in Lord Ozai's army. Maka is an Earthbender in an area of her kingdom occupied by Fire Nation troops, but she refuses to leave her home. Both are mere teens that have been rendered parentless by the war. (Maka's POV)

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There are many legends concerning dragons. But in all the stories, the gigantic fire-breathers seem to fall into one of two major categories.

In the first category, dragons are noble and protect people. Some bring good luck, some guard royalty, and others use their mighty powers to fight for good and justice while giving humans some insight into a dragon's great wealth of knowledge. One such dragon was said to be Avatar Roku's companion.

However, on the other hand, different tales say that dragons are monsters. They bring fierce destruction, attacking and roasting humans. They burn down entire villages at the slightest provocation, and hoard treasure and food for themselves. In those stories, everyone cowers in fright if they even suspect that a dragon might be near. They fear for their lives, but some fools deny the evidence of the imminent danger of dragons. Those are the ones that die first.

Firebenders claim that they learned their Bending from dragons. That may or may not be true, but if they inherited their tendencies from dragons as well, then dragons must be terrible creatures.

For Firebenders surely are monsters.

Two years ago, my parents left to fight in the war against the Fire Nation. They only returned once for a brief release, but were called back to the front lines all too quickly. I was left to take care of the house while they were gone, even though I was only thirteen. It wasn't a month later that I received the solemn news.

Mama and Papa were never coming home again.

One of Papa's friends from his regiment arrived to tell me what had happened in person. He said what I expected him to say; that my parents were very brave, and had gone down boldly fighting for justice. They were rehearsed lines to make me feel better. But I knew the truth; they had been killed in cold blood by scorching fire, and I could never forgive the Fire Nation for what they had taken from me.

I tried to enter the war at age fourteen, but they told me that I was too young. So I went home again to that small, lone village, nestled in at the base of a mountain and peacefully shielded from the outside war.

It drove me crazy. I wanted to be in the war to avenge my parents, but I knew that I couldn't. I also wanted to stay in my parents' former home, honoring their memory and preserving the house for them.

But the Fire Nation constantly loomed over my shoulder, quite literally. It was kind of hard not to hate them while they governed and oppressed our village. Lord Ozai declared that each town that was in the Fire Nation's control should have soldiers situated in it as "peacekeepers." Our village's heads were two men that were mostly just lazy, consuming the food we produced without giving a single copper coin in return.

I'll admit that I made trouble for them, but those maddening bums deserved it. They tried to take me off to an Earthbender prison once or twice, but I resisted so ferociously that they were forced to give up. Still, because I became such a problem, they ended up sending for another soldier with the specific task of keeping me in check. I was the only Earthbender in my village, after all. No one else needed to be monitored as closely as I did.

That's why Soul came.

I remember the day we met. He tore into the town on the back of his komodo rhino, scaring children and knocking over baskets and pottery. I hated him already.

"You needed me, Giriko?" He asked as he slid off the back of his ride. It snorted. Soul's back was turned to me as he took off his helmet, revealing hair the color of pure mountain snow. I stepped forward to meet my new guard.

Giriko, one of the Fire Nation soldiers in charge of our village, nodded. "Yeah. We've got a pest of an Earthbender that we need you to keep in line," He said, but then noticed me walk up. "Don't look now, but she's givin' you the evil eye."

Soul turned around, and I was met with a face of a dragon. His eyes burned red like flames, and his teeth were sharpened into grotesque points. He smirked at me.

"What's shrimpy's name?" He asked Giriko, pointing to me. In response, I lifted up an angled pillar of Earth that I shot forward at Soul's chest plate. It hit its mark perfectly. Soul was thrown back into his komodo rhino, which snorted loudly and kicked out, catching Soul in the back. The soldier fell to the ground before anyone could react, winded from both sides, and Giriko stared for a minute before helping Soul up.

"I'm standing right here!" I shouted at him. "If you want to know my name, ask me! It's not 'shrimpy, it's Maka!'"

Giriko glowered at me. "Told ya. She's bad news," He muttered. Soul rubbed his head for a moment, but then smirked again as he stood.

"Sassy little thing," He wheezed, trying to get air back in his lungs. He coughed a little, but then added with a stronger voice, "I like that in a girl."

I caused the ground to fall out under him, trapping him in a hole his height, before stomping back to my house.

* * *

Soul irritated me to no end for the first few months he shadowed me. I shoved him in more holes and trapped him in more boxes of earth than I could count. Constant guard was just making me more violent, but the other soldiers were glad that I was taking my anger out of Soul rather than them.

"You're pretty good with that," Soul's voice said, muffled by the four walls of earth I had trapped him in. "Your Earthbending."

I scowled a little at him as he broke his way out of the makeshift cell. It was weak dirt, meant to deter him and keep him out of my hair rather than trap him. I should've known by then that that never worked, but I still didn't stop wasting my energy on him.

"Thanks," I replied curtly, stomping to till the fields before the other villagers planted the seeds. I could clear about ten feet of ground in front of me with every step, but the field was large enough that my task took most of the day and a lot of effort.

"I mean it," He said, brushing dirt off of his armor and sitting on a stump. "I mean, it's rare for even a Firebender to have that level of skill."

I washed a wave of dirt over him in response to his superiority complex, but his compliment impressed me anyway.

After another hour of working hard, I paused, leaned over, and placed my hands on my knees. I panted; the sun beat down on me relentlessly, and not a cloud in the sky deterred its heat.

"Thirsty?"

I jerked my head upward to glare at the source of the source of the voice, but the irritation drained from my face abruptly. Soul stood in front of me, holding a cup of water. I took it immediately, gulping down the contents of the clay cup. He smiled.

"In that case, want me to get more?" He asked.

I shook my head, gasping a little after swallowing almost all of the water at once. "No, I'm good," I said.

He chuckled a little. "So you finally speak to me," He said, with a hint of triumph in his voice. "How long has it been since I got here? Couldn't've been longer than two months, anyway. And this is the first time you've said a word to me since the day I got here."

I shot him a sideways glare. "I still hate you," I snapped, and then shoved past him to continue with my ploughing.

Even so, I almost entirely stopped attacking him after that day. I could've sworn that I saw a change come over him because of it, as well. But it wasn't until the next day that I realized how much Soul truly cared for me.

I had fallen sick. Perhaps it was from overworking myself, or from bending into the night and nearly freezing my fingers off in the crisp night air, or from inhaling all of the dry dust in the air that I helped the wind stir up. Maybe it was a combination of all of them. Whatever the reason, I woke the next morning with a sore throat.

"Something wrong?" Soul asked, barging into my house uninvited. I turned by back to the door before he walked into my room. "You're usually up before the sun, feeding your pig chickens. Are you okay?"

I growled a little in response, but my throat was raspy and I ended up coughing. Soul's footsteps came closer, and his hand set on my shoulder before forcefully turning me to face him. My nose was red and my eyes were watery. I growled again before yanking my single blanket over my face.

"Get out of my house," I grumbled.

"No," Soul said firmly, shocking me a little. Normally he was so laid back, but suddenly his voice had become worried and commanding. "I'm staying here until you get better."

I pulled my blanket away from my eyes again. Normally I would've entirely refused, but having a bit of help didn't seem like a very bad idea at that moment. "Fine," I snapped, "But you have to feed the pig chickens first."

"Done," He said, leaving my room immediately. I sighed a little, trying to relax, but my ears were suddenly filled with the sounds of squawking and oinking.

"Here, picken! Hey, calm down! OW! Stop pecking me! Not cool! Down, girl!"

I couldn't resist a chuckle as Soul continued to cry out, "MAKA! These things are monsters! Why in the Spirit World would you keep these beasts as pets?!"

An hour later, after the pig chickens were fed and Soul had a few new bruises, the white-haired soldier walked into my room carrying a bowl of soup.

"Here," He said as I sat up and accepted the warm bowl, "It should fill you up and help with your throat."

I took a spoonful tentatively, not sure what to expect from a soldier's cooking, but after the first bite, my eyes widened. I began shoveling the delicious soup into my mouth while Soul laughed.

"Glad you like it. I'm actually kinda surprised you had the right ingredients, but apparently you're happy you did. It's my Mom's recipe," He said, but suddenly his mirth was replaced with a sad smile. "She used to give it to me whenever I got sick."

I looked up at him, swallowing a large mouthful quickly. "Used to? It's a shame she stopped making it; it's great," I said.

Soul directed his red gaze to the floor. "She and father died in the war," He said softly.

I froze, my spoon hovering inches from my open mouth. I slowly lowered the wooden utensil in reverence. I was both shocked and concerned. I had never realized that the war caused casualties in the Fire Nation, as well. Without warning, Soul had swiftly become someone I empathized with. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "Mine are gone, too," I added.

Soul turned to stare at me, surprise etched over his face as well. "But…" He said slowly, "I thought the Fire Nation were the only ones with casualties."

I smiled slightly, the same sad smile that he had shown me earlier. "And I thought they were the only ones that were invincible."

The rest of the day was mostly spent talking. Soul started a fire in the hearth while we discussed the war from both sides. We began to form a whole picture, uncovering falsehoods that had been fed to us by our respective governments, and then came to realize that no one, not even the Fire Nation, was benefiting from the terrible bloodbath that haunted our world.

"I didn't realize," Spoke Soul, "That we were doing that much damage."

I nodded solemnly. "Everyone feels the effects of the war," I said. "Sozin even entirely wiped out the Airbenders nearly a hundred years ago."

Horror became etched across Soul's face. "But… But Dad taught me that they died of a plague!" He exclaimed.

I turned to look down at my empty soup bowl. "Sorry, but no," I murmured. "Sozin feared the Avatar."

Soul's brow furrowed as he clenched his hands in his lap. "That Avatar better show up soon," He muttered. I tilted my head, surprised at his sudden passion. "And as soon as I see him, I'm gonna punch him in the face for letting this war rage on so long."

I looked up at him as he continued speaking.

"People have died, Maka. A lot of people. Too many people. This isn't war anymore; it's massacre. Everyone who isn't dead is either living in constant fear, poverty, or ignorance. That's got to stop."

I frowned. "But I only just told you that today. That's a bit soon to be saying radical things like that," I said.

Soul's fists clenched at his sides. "I'm a soldier, Maka. I've been in battle. I've seen what I've done. What I've burned. But I ignored it," He snarled suddenly, startling me, "Because I thought what we were doing was for the greater good. No one cared if a few lives got thrown away," He stated. He turned around, looking into my emerald eyes.

"But now I see that you care," He said. His voice had suddenly became much quieter. "The Earth Kingdom cares for the ones they've lost. The Water Tribes care. And if there are any Air Nomads left, they'd care," He whispers. "The Fire Nation barely even cares for their own losses. Lord Ozai says they're 'necessary sacrifices on the path to victory.' But my parents, and your parents, and everyone else who's fallen should never be called a 'necessary sacrifice.' No one should have to die," He spoke with conviction.

I stared at him. The young man before me was so different from the snarky soldier that had trailed me before. I realized then that I respected him, and even admired him. Soul had shown me a nobility and sense of justice that I had thought no dragon possessed.

Soul and I only grew closer after that. He helped me around the house and in the village, and even earned a bit of respect from the other villagers. He aided during the planting, and later, the harvest. He kept us warm in the winter, lighting fires in nearly every hearth while the two soldiers who had been previously situated in our village didn't lift a finger. The white-haired soldier even went so far as to request more food from the Fire Nation during those cold months, when food and heat were scarce.

Against my will, I began to fall for Soul of the Fire Nation, who had shown me that some dragons still had chivalry and honor.

That's what made it excruciatingly hard to say goodbye.

The command came after the harvest, when Soul was relaxing in my kitchen and laughing about a story he was telling me as I sat across the table from him, sipping tea with a smile on my face. The door was knocked on harshly, and I stood up to get it. I was met with the face of a fierce Fire Nation soldier.

"Is Soul in there?" He said gruffly. "I was told that he probably would be."

I glanced back at the table where Soul sat as a look of anxiety crossed his face. He stood and walked over to the door. "Yes sir?" He said, gently pushing me away from the door.

"Lord Ozai needs more troops on the front lines, and this village doesn't seem to be problematic anymore," Said the other soldier, and got straight to the point; "You're being deployed."

I dropped my cup, causing it to smash into pieces on the floor and for tea to splatter onto my feet.

"We leave within the hour," Continued the soldier. "I expect to see you follow me out of town then."

As soon as he had slammed the door behind him, I had rushed to Soul. I wrapped my arms around him childishly and tightly, as if I could keep him here.

"You can't go!" I said quickly, glaring up at him once again. "You can't just leave! This village considers you their guardian, their leader!" I shouted. My words began tumbling out of my mouth faster than I could comprehend them. "You're their dragon, Soul! You're MY dragon! I can't lose anyone else to this war!" I screamed. Slowly, I realized what I'd said. I buried my face in Soul's shirt as my cheeks burned red. Unexpectedly, his hand came up to stroke my hair.

"I promise I'll come back," He whispered. "I promise. You'll know when the war ends, because I'll be the first person to rush back here to tell you."

I paused, and then looked up at him once more. "You really think it'll end?" I asked quietly. He nodded.

"I promise that, too," He murmured. Slowly, he leaned over and kissed the crown of my head, causing my face to light up once more. "And I promise that I'll fight with honor this time, Maka. No more killing," He swore.

I smiled ruefully. "That's a lot of promises," I told him. He smiled back.

"I'll keep every one of them for you," He said. "Shrimpy."

As he was commanded, Soul left within the next hour. I kept up with his komodo rhino until they reached the village's edge, where I stood and waved, crying goodbye and screaming for Soul to be safe even after they were long out of sight.

That was five years ago.

I'm twenty years old now. Soul would be twenty-two.

Today, I sit at a familiar scene. I sip my tea, glancing idly at the warm cup that sits across the table before an empty chair. For the past five years, I've always set an extra cup of tea at the place where Soul had sat, in case he came back today and wanted a warm drink. Perhaps it's a waste of tea, but one of these days it won't be, I tell myself. One day he'll come back, and soon. There have been rumors that the Avatar has been found, and that's working hard to stop Ozai. I hope they're right. If the Avatar wins, Soul will come back.

I hear a knock at my door. It's probably just another villager asking if they can borrow an egg, or another child asking when Soul will come back. To them, Soul is a hero that helped our village in times of poverty. To the youngest that weren't yet born when Soul lived here, he's a wondrous man that is spoken of in stories told by their parents. I smile fondly at the memory as I open the door.

As I'm looking at the ground, expecting a child, the first thing I see are the boots. They're red and black with curved toes; part of Fire Nation armor. My eyes travel upward, and slowly, I recognize those scratches. I remember that mark across the chest plate. I know that chin, and those smiling lips. Lastly, how could I forget those flame-like eyes, or that hair the color of fresh snow?

My eyes widen, and I stumble slightly as my hand flies over my mouth in shock.

"The Avatar won, Maka," He breathes. His chest heaves, and his komodo rhino behind him is breathing heavily as well, as if they just rode a long distance very quickly and tirelessly. "Lord Ozai has fallen. The war is over, Maka. You're free. Your village is free. The Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, they're all free!" Beams Soul. Before I have time to react, he's embraced me and spins me in a circle in midair. I let out a squeak of surprise before he sets me down.

Suddenly, with a happiness and joy that neither of us has ever felt before, Soul quickly leans down and kisses my lips. It lasts only a moment, and he pulls away too abruptly for me. He leans his forehead against mine, and I stare into his mesmerizing eyes.

"You're home," I finally manage to form words. Soul smirks.

"Yeah, I'm home. And here to stay," He says.

I practically leap into our next kiss, placing one hand behind his neck and other on his shoulder. I both hear and feel a deep chuckle in Soul's chest as he kisses me back.

Perhaps dragons really do bring good luck.

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**This fanfic was going to be shorter, but then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.**

**Couldn't resist ;)**

**See ya next chapter, guys!**


	5. Night Swimming

**What did you guys think of "Dragons?" It was one of my favorites to write, so drop me a review! And maybe review this one while you're at it? This was one fun too ;) I had another idea for this prompt that I may write into another oneshot… We'll see. I dunno. I'm lazy X3 *I disclaim* I don't own Soul Eater.**

**SoMa Week 2015**

**Day 5: Night Swimming**

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Description: Reality AU. The Evans family takes a trip to a nearby resort, but Soul's not exactly having the time of his life. In an act of pure rebellion, and to get away from his looming parents, he decides to swim in the resort's pool at night. Maka the steward isn't happy about it.

* * *

Soul had never considered being hit by a bus before. Now that he thought about it, he realized it would probably be pretty painful. He could die, even. Although, he thought as he watched the bus drive past his family limo, death might not be too bad. The Evans' chauffer had evidently forgotten where the accelerator was again, and the car was inching along at an excruciatingly slow rate. The constant babbling between his parents added to Soul's irritation, and the passing bus had prompted him to consider throwing himself in front of it, if just to free himself from this family road trip.

However, as Soul further contemplated throwing himself from the limo, he decided against it. With his luck, he'd live, and then he'd get an earful from his parents about being an idiot and why on earth should a respectable boy like him be doing something so renegade as to jump in front of a bus. Wes would just give him that look that would make Soul feel guilty.

It was only an hour-long drive, right? Soul could survive that; they were already halfway there. At least his parents had agreed to spend spring break somewhere close to home this year. Last year's Peru expedition had been a nightmare. This one probably wouldn't be much better, though; the entire trip would be filled with Wes texting his girlfriend, his mother gossiping about anything she had heard from a friend who heard from their friend, and his father complaining about every slight imperfection.

Family trips were so much fun.

"We've arrived, Master Evans," Spoke the aging driver as he brought the car to a halt. Before the elder had a chance to put the limo in park, Soul had thrown open his door and quickly landed on the sidewalk. Wes chuckled, but their mother snorted.

"Honestly, Soul," She said, "A respectable boy would wait for his butler to open the door for him."

Soul rolled his eyes. He was used to lectures like this. Most sentences from his mother's mouth that were directed at him were usually preceded by the words: "a respectable boy would," or, alternately, "a respectable boy would not."

"Yeah, yeah," Replied Soul, but he strode to the back of the car to wait for the chauffer to open the trunk. As soon as he was able, Soul grabbed his bags and swiftly made his way inside.

"Soul!" Called his father as their chauffer slowly made his way over to the luggage carts, "Wait for the rest of the family!"

By the time his father's voice reached his ears, Soul already had himself comfortably seated in the lobby. He sighed with relief. Even though it wasn't exactly quiet inside due to other people, at least none of the voices within the building were those of Soul's parents. His eyes began to explore the expensive lobby, until they suddenly found something far more interesting to observe than the lush carpets and b-list celebrities that filled the rest of the room.

The stewardess behind the desk was incredibly cute.

Her green eyes scanned the screen before her as she typed. Her pink lips moved distractingly as she spoke into her headpiece, and her sweet but professional voice could be heard from where Soul sat. Her ash-blonde hair was tied into pigtails that sat on either side of her head, which somehow suited her perfectly.

"Soul. Soul? Hellooooo."

Soul jerked away from his staring after Wes began snapping his fingers before his eyes. Soul glared a bit at his older brother, who chuckled. "Look, he's back in the land of the living. Wanna stop ogling the receptionist long enough for Dad to get our room keys from her?"

Soul's face flushed red slightly. "Shut up," He muttered, but he practically leaped from his chair when he realized he'd be seeing her up close.

"We have a reservation for two suites under the name 'Evans,'" Proclaimed his father as Soul joined him. Now that he was closer, he could clearly see her name tag.

"_Her name's Maka_," Soul almost melted. "_Cute name for a cute girl. Play it cool, Soul,_" He told himself as he continued to stare at her. But despite his best efforts, Soul's heart began to beat erratically when Maka smiled.

"Of course, Sir. Allow me to check your reservation," She beamed. Her words sounded rehearsed and uniform, but Soul could barely control himself from flirting in front of his mother. He'd be asking for instant death if he did, or a lecture that would last until next Christmas. Possibly both.

"Here you go," Maka said, handing them room keys after verifying them. "Your two deluxe suites are on the fifth floor; rooms five-sixty-three and five-sixty-four." She tilted her head to the side in an endearing manner, and Soul envied how close his father got to touching her hand when he received the keys from her. "Enjoy your stay."

Oh, Soul planned to. If he got to look at that adorable face every day, his time at the resort would be more enjoyable then the rest of his life in its entirety. Unfortunately, his parents had other arrangements.

The family itinerary was a strict schedule, and absolutely nowhere on that list was there a time slot labeled "Soul flirts with Maka." Neither was there one labeled "free time." As a result, Soul was dragged around by his parents and brother all week, and was given absolutely no time to even linger in the lobby to stare at the attractive stewardess.

And if Wes kept practicing his violin before bed, Soul was going to tear his ears off.

It was fine when Wes practiced in his own room at home, where Soul could use his piano to drown him out and spite him. But when sharing a room without a piano, Soul had no other way to deal with the noise than to pull a pillow over his ears and hope that he'd stop soon. Not that Wes was terrible; there was a reason he had a Grammy Award and fangirls. Soul was simply tired of hearing violin music every night without a way to overpower it or drown it out.

Irritation and a total depravity of freedom were what caused Soul to break a major rule Friday night.

Soul couldn't sleep. He could still hear Wes' music echoing in his skull, repeating over and over. When it began to mingle with his parents' nagging, the white-haired teen dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and growled.

He sat up abruptly, throwing the covers off of himself and sliding out of bed. Careful not to wake Wes, Soul changed into his swim trunks before he grabbed his towel and the room key. Quietly, opening the door slowly to keep it from creaking, he stole into the hallway and to the elevator. Soul knew he was just purely being rebellious, but he needed a break from being uptight in the presence of his parents and annoyed to the point of death in front of Wes. He just needed to let loose and have a little fun.

Soul took a deep breath as he stepped into the fresh air. The large pool was devoid of any sound other than the low mechanical hum of the filters, and entirely empty. Perfect for a little night swimming. Soul smirked, setting down his towel. He stepped around to the deep end, and then dove in.

The cool water enveloped Soul, flowing over his skin and causing goosebumps to form on his arms. He didn't care, though. He would swim enough that he'd warm up and get used to it. Breaking the surface again, Soul took a deep breath of air. He chuckled a little, seeing the previously peaceful water stirred up by his motions. He flipped over on his back and backstroked for a little bit, but he soon dove under the surface again and simply swam without any rhyme or reason.

"Ahem."

Soul stiffened when he heard a voice on the deck behind him. He slowly turned around, but suddenly froze.

Maka the Cute Stewardess stood before him, tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest and an irritated look on her face.

"Pool hours ended two hours ago," She snapped. "Unless you want me to report you, I suggest you get out of the water now."

Soul smirked a little, swimming over to the edge of the pool to rest his arms on it and pulling the upper half of his body out of the water in the process. "C'mon, give a guy a break," He shrugged. "Besides, you're too cute to be commanding," He flirted.

Maka's face reddened, and Soul kept himself from laughing. Her huffy expression reminded him of a hamster with is cheeks full. "I mean it!" She said. "If you don't get out of that pool right now, I'll have your family evicted immediately!"

Soul shrugged, backing away from the edge. "Fine. Be a stick-in-the-mud," He said indifferently as he placed his hands under the water. "Your face is all red, though. Do you need to cool down?" He asked innocently. Maka's eyes widened as she caught on, but Soul continued before she could protest. "I know just the thing," He grinned, before swiftly bringing his arms upward and splashing her.

Maka spluttered for a moment, rigid with shock. Soul laughed at her stunned appearance, but then her fists clenched at her sides and the look in her eyes declared murder. Soul's own eyes widened, and he began shrinking back, now genuinely scared.

"Mr. Evans, I should sue you-!" She declared, taking a step forward to get closer to Soul, but her dainty and professional small-heeled shoes had absolutely no traction on the now-wet tile beneath her. With a small shriek, she slipped forward and into the pool.

Soul stared at the dark water for a moment, but then a soaking-wet blonde head rose from the pool. Maka gasped, coughing a little as she treaded water.

Soul winced. "Look, I'm really sorry," He began, about to apologize for soaking her uniform, but Maka then whipped around and splashed him in the face.

"Serves you right!" She exclaimed, looking pleased with herself. After dislodging some of the water from his ear, Soul smirked again. He splashed her once more, but she anticipated the attack and turned her back to him. When she faced him again, she was still glaring at him, but with a spark of competition in her eyes. "Oh, it's on," She told him.

Soul held his arms out, making himself a target. "Bring it," He grinned.

Turns out that Maka the Cute Stewardess was really competitive. After a few minutes of their splash battle, he could barely hear from the water filling his ears and was convinced that she was trying to drown him. He fought back, though, and one of her hairbands became wet enough that it slipped out, leaving her with only one pigtail.

Soul ducked under the water to avoid one of Maka's more violent attacks, but then a devious idea struck him. He swum under Maka before quickly lifting her in the air, holding her bridal-style. Her face reddened as she squeaked in surprise. Soul grinned.

"Hold your breath," He said. Maka shook her head rapidly, but despite her protests, Soul tossed her into the air. Maka let out a shriek as she fell with a splash back into the pool, but when she rose to the surface again, she was laughing as much as she was coughing to get the water out of her lungs.

After Soul realized they were probably making too much noise, the two climbed from the pool and seated themselves in two of the nearby beach chairs. Soul handed Maka his towel.

"I can dry off without it," He told her. "You're the one wearing a sopping wet uniform."

Maka sighed. "Yeah. I hope it'll wash well; this thing cost me a fortune," She muttered. Soul leaned over, his elbows on his knees as he peered at her.

"But you had fun, right?" He smirked.

Maka returned his gaze and smiled. "Yeah. It was nice to let loose a little," She admitted. The blonde then abruptly became stern once more. "But if I catch you night swimming again, Mr. Evans, I _will _report you," She snapped.

Soul nodded quickly, scared into submission. "Yes, ma'am," He said. At Maka's chuckle, however, he relaxed.

"Good," She grinned, and Soul found himself melting once again under the radiance of her smile.

"It's Soul," He said. A confused look spread across Maka's face.

"What's that?"

"My name," Soul explained. "You don't need to call me 'Mr. Evans.' Please. Makes me feel old," He chuckled. "Just call me Soul."

Maka smiled. "Okay," She said. "I guess you already know mine, because of my name tag."

Soul nodded. "Your name is really…" He cut himself off before he said "cute." "Uh… Cool. Your name is cool."

Despite his correction, Maka blushed anyway. "Thanks," She said.

The two sat in silence for a moment, but then Maka sighed again. "I'm not looking forward to my drive home," She muttered. Soul sighed as well.

"Yeah. Sorry again," He mumbled.

"I mean, I'd be fine if it was just ten minutes or so, but a forty-five minute drive in wet clothes isn't fun," She continued.

Soul raised an eyebrow. "You drive for nearly an hour to work each day?" He asked. After Maka nodded, the white-haired teen began to put the pieces together. "Wait, where do you live?"

"Carson City," Maka replied quickly. "You?"

Soul smirked. "Carson City," He answered, "But a bit farther than you, apparently. We drove over an hour to get here," He said, "That would mean that you only live fifteen minutes away from me, though."

Maka smiled at him. "Yeah, it would," She said, and Soul thought he heard a hint of gratefulness in her voice. They kept each other's gaze for a moment. Ironically, both of them were so captivated by each other's' eyes that neither realized the other was staring. Only when Soul's gaze gradually began to travel towards her lips did Maka turn away.

"Well, I better be going," She said, facing away from him to hide the embarrassing heat on her cheeks, which was rapidly spreading over her nose. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

Soul frowned. "Actually, we're checking out tomorrow afternoon," He said. Maka's face fell.

"Oh," She said softly. "Well… My shift starts at four," She said rapidly, and then hurried off. Soul tilted his head in confusion.

"Did she just ask me to wait for her?" He wondered.

Whether that had been Maka's intended message or not, Soul took every opportunity to drag out his family's last afternoon at the resort, especially during packing. He continued to "lose" items he had already packed and searched avidly for them, and even the laid-back Wes was getting irritated with his younger brother. Soul checked, double-checked, and triple-checked every single corner of his room, and his parents were obviously running out of patience for their son's "absent-mindedness." But Soul made absolutely sure that they left no earlier than four in the afternoon.

Soul's face lit up when they stepped off the elevator and saw Maka at the front desk. She wore no indication of the previous night's jaunt, looking clean and with a uniform that was so prim it almost sparkled. Yet, as his father handed the keys back to her, Maka's gaze barely met with Soul's, and the young pianist's face gradually fell. He sighed inwardly; of course it would be weird if she suddenly seemed friendly with him after acting professional yesterday. Dejected, he followed his family to the doors after Maka's cheerful recitation of "We hope you enjoyed your stay!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Soul?"

Soul stopped abruptly when Maka spoke his name. His parents turned to fix him in glares that clearly read "what have you done now?" Wes merely looked intrigued.

Soul retracted his steps, and upon standing in front of the desk once more, Soul found that Maka barely looked up at him from her work as she slid a piece of paper towards him. There was a phone number written on it in refined handwriting.

"I'm free on the weekends," Remarked Maka casually, but when she shot Soul the subtlest of winks, he decided that he would be willing to endure anything to see that wink again.

Even family vacations.

* * *

**Wow. That was longer than I thought it would be. So what do you think? Fave/follow and review ;) ****(Also, as a disclaimer: I don't suggest night swimming when it's against the rules. Just don't do it. There is absolutely no way I can guarantee that whoever catches you will be cute or forgiving.)**


	6. Worth It

**This one's mostly just fluff. Lots fluff. *I disclaim* I don't own Soul Eater. Just this fluff. I'm up to my ears in fluff.**

**SoMa Week 2015**

**Day 6: Worth It**

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Description: Soul and Maka are having a difficult time financially. So when Soul suggests a romantic – and expensive – dinner date, Maka is immediately opposed to the idea. But after much prodding, Soul finally manages to convince her, and it's definitely worth it.

* * *

Maka figured that the trouble had started when she was dancing with Soul during that quiet evening. Blair was out, the phone didn't ring, and the shared Eater and Albarn apartment was quiet and serene. The moment was perfect, so Soul had wasted no time in setting up his old-fashioned record player. It began playing a slow dance song as the weapon grabbed his meister's hand, prying her off the couch. Maka giggled a little when Soul pulled her against him, and almost immediately they began dancing. Their movements were so simultaneous, it was as if they shared one mind. Absorbed in each other, both were prepared to dance the night away.

Except, without any prior practice and no warning, Soul attempted to dip Maka. Unfortunately, neither of them was quite prepared for the action, and Soul ended up losing his balance. Maka fell backward, and Soul followed like a shadow as they landed in the direct center of the coffee table.

Predictably, the table snapped in two.

It wasn't like in movies, where the music screeched to an abrupt halt while the fallen couple stared into each other's eyes on the floor. Rather, the music continued to play while Soul cursed loudly, rubbing his throbbing hand, which had been the first thing to hit the table. Maka rubbed her back and winced as Soul stood. He offered her his hand to help her stand, and she accepted it before she was pulled to her feet. The first thing out of her mouth after the ordeal was "How much do you think a new table will cost?" Soul tried to hide is displeasure; the romantic moment was gone in a flash.

It seemed like the entire apartment had taken the destruction of the coffee table as some sort of cue, as furniture and appliances began breaking rapidly. Suddenly the microwave door would only open if you hit the top of the appliance with your fist. The freezer froze everything; the ice cream had to be chiseled out of its carton, and no amount of adjusting the temperature control would convince the freezer to warm up a few degrees. The clothes washer began to shake and rumble so loudly that it seemed as if it was trying to take off for the moon, and it began leaving small, unexplainable grey dots on the whites. The dishwasher stopped cleaning and drying altogether, although it continued to sit there and sound like it was doing something when it was on, and Blair's favorite chair suddenly gave out and collapsed on top of the poor kitty one day.

The expenses required to essentially replace the entire apartment were immense, and it was driving Maka up the wall.

On one particular evening, Maka was frantically trying to balance their checkbook. Sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by bills, her computer, a calculator, and with a pencil in her hand, she muttered to herself. Soul slipped up behind her, casually wrapping his arms around her shoulders before resting his head on hers.

"That looks boring," He remarked.

Maka tried to shake him off. "Well, it's necessary," She grumbled. "We need to figure out how we're going to pay for everything that broke this month."

Soul clung tight until Maka gave up trying to dislodge him. "C'mon," He said. "All work and no play makes Maka a dull girlfriend. Plus," He smirked, "I've got something that'll make you smile."

Maka turned to fix her partner in an irritated glare. "What?" She snapped. Soul grinned as he straightened up, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket. Maka's gaze traveled to the paper, but then her eyes widened.

"Is that a reservation for Bistro De Alma?" She asked, staring at the text. Soul chuckled.

"Uh-huh," He said. "I've got the whole evening planned. Just a relaxing night with just the two of us," He beamed at her. But to his surprise, Maka groaned in aggravation.

"Do you realize how expensive that bistro is, Soul?!" She spat. "That must've taken a chunk out of the checkbook!"

Soul lowered his hand, his grin slipping off his face almost like Maka was wiping it off with a towel. "I thought you'd like it," He muttered. "It'd help you relax."

Maka fixed Soul in a glare that he often translated as her I-might-be-about-to-chop-you-so-keep-all-books-away-from-me look. "But we don't have enough money to pay for it, Soul!" She protested. "We've still got to buy a new dishwasher, and pay a mechanic to fix the freezer, and we still haven't bought a new coffee table, and-!" She was about to say more, but Soul promptly grabbed her shoulders. There was only one surefire way he knew of that would get her to stop ranting.

He pressed his lips soundly against hers for a good five seconds, and he could feel the tension ease from her shoulders. Their kiss made a slight smacking sound as he pulled away.

"Look," Soul began again, looking straight into her eyes. "You need to relax. All right? I can hand wash the dishes, and we can deal with freezer-burnt ice cream bars for a little while. And the stuff that was on the coffee table is doing just fine in that box next to the couch," He told her. "So let's go out for the night. Just tonight; and then you can checkbook all you want."

"But-!" Maka started to object again, until she was swiftly silenced by another peck to her lips.

"Please?" Soul practically pleaded. Maka raised an eyebrow in confusion; she had never seen her weapon act so eager to go out to dinner. "I already paid for it, so if we don't go, it's a waste of money, right?"

Maka sighed; she couldn't argue with that. "Fine," She mumbled. Soul grinned, hugging her briefly before practically sprinting back to his room.

"You won't regret it; I promise. It'll all be worth it," He said confidently as he was lost from view. "I'm gonna get changed into something nicer, 'kay? You wear that cool red dress!" He could be heard shouting from his room. Maka stared after him as her perplexity continued to rise; what had gotten into her partner?

* * *

Maka sighed. The two were finally seated at their table, and the waiter was scurrying off with their drink orders. "I'm pretty sure you broke the speed limit on the drive here," She grumbled. "Speeding tickets aren't cheap, Soul."

Soul groaned a little. "Stop worrying about money, Miss Tightwad Albarn," He said, barely glancing at her as he looked down at his menu. However, as soon as her eyes flicked down to look at her own menu, Soul's gaze traveled upward. A smile crept across his face as he shamelessly stared at his girlfriend of nearly five years. She had her blonde hair pinned back on one side, which displayed one of her diamond dangle earrings, while the other side flowed around her shoulder and framed that side of her charming face. She wore the dress he had requested; the red satin one that ended right above her knees and had one shoulder strap, and around her neck she had fasted the necklace that matched her earrings.

"Are you gonna get your usual?" Asked Soul, still watching his meister with a look that made him seem phased out.

Maka sighed a little. "I would, but I never realized how expensive it was," She replied. Soul rolled his eyes before reaching a hand across the table and setting it on Maka's. Her eyes flicked upward, and Soul met her gaze.

"Look," He told her gently, "We're here to relax. Don't think about how much it costs, all right? Just have a good time, and we can work around the price. Okay? Don't worry about it," He said reassuringly. Maka sighed and nodded, turning back to her menu.

Their drinks were served shortly, and the rest of the dinner went smoothly. They talked for a while about whatever came to mind, things like how Maka's students were doing, what boring things Soul had to do as a Death Scythe, and laughing about the fact that Stein and Marie's five-year-old child already shown an interest in taking things apart. But for some odd reason, Soul immediately tried to change the subject when Maka brought up Tsubaki and Black*Star's recent marriage.

"Maka," Mumbled Soul, suddenly directing his attention towards his plate and away from her, "I don't really want to talk about that."

Maka frowned. "Why not, Soul?" She asked, taking a bite of her pasta. "I just said that it was a nice wedding, which it was, so what's your problem?" She sipped her drink a little when Soul didn't respond. "You're not still mad about the fact that I wouldn't dance with you in front of people, are you?"

Soul shook his head. "Nah. Just forget about it," He said. "It's not important. Let's just talk about something else."

Maka was still concerned, but she shrugged. "So, I heard Sid and Nygus have been secretly dating for the past couple months," She began, and the issue was dropped.

* * *

"Soul, what are you doing?" Maka spoke into Soul's ear, struggling to be heard over the roar of his motorcycle's engine. "You just missed the turn to go home!"

Soul smirked. "I didn't miss a turn!" He called back. "I know exactly where we're going!"

Maka sighed, placing her head against Soul's as her ash-blonde hair billowed around her face. She tightened her grip around his torso, showing that she trusted him, but she began to notice that his chest was heaving as if we were taking deep breaths. The meister's brow furrowed, but she said nothing, choosing to blame his condition on stress from the Saturday evening traffic. Even so, pinpointing the source of the problem didn't make her any less worried for her partner.

Soul pulled the bike to an abrupt halt in front of the stairs of the DWMA. He switched it off before sliding from his seat and offering his hand to Maka, who looked around disconcertedly.

"Why are we here?" She asked. Soul grinned at her, trying to erase all the signs of his stress, but Maka noticed that sweat still beaded on his forehead.

"It's a surprise," He said as Maka stepped off the motorcycle. He squeezed her hand a little before leading her up the stairs.

They walked in silence, but one they reached the top, Soul turned around. "That's what I took you to see," He said, pointing at the setting sun. Its drowsy face was framed perfectly by the city skyline, and the red rooftops seemed to glow in its fading radiance. Maka's eyes lit up as she surveyed the picturesque landscape.

"It's beautiful," She breathed, stepping close to Soul. The Death Scythe smiled down at her.

"Beautiful," He repeated, softly and to himself. Soul's hand slipped down around Maka's waist before he spoke louder, "We first met at this Academy."

Maka looked up at Soul and nodded, a sweet smile on her lips. "It was one of the best days of my life," She told him.

Soul smiled back. "And the first day of mine," He said. "My new life, anyway."

Maka giggled a little, and Soul's felt as if his heart was pounding enough to crawl up his throat. "Y-you are my life, Maka," He said, cursing himself inwardly for his stutter. "And I love you. With my entire soul."

Maka blushed. "Since when are you one to gush your feelings?" She asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear like she did when she was nervous.

Soul took a deep breath and gulped down his qualms. "Since I decided to do this," He whispered. He gradually assumed that fateful position, causing his meister's eyes to widen.

Soul was down on one knee. Maka's hand came over her mouth in shock as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the telltale black box.

"Maka Albarn," He said delicately, trying to keep his voice from quivering as he revealed the dainty emerald-crusted silver ring in the box, "Will you marry me?"

Maka's wide green eyes flickered from the ring, to Soul, and back and forth. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her lips were having trouble forming words. Without warning, and without her consent, she suddenly blurted out, "That must've cost a fortune."

Soul felt the world grind to a halt. The earth stopped turning, oxygen ceased to exist, and his heart shattered like glass under Maka's words. His other knee slipped to the ground, and his arms dropped down beside him. The ring's box fell to the ground when he lost his grip, causing the black-felted plastic to clatter upon the cobblestone. The ring slipped out and rolled a few feet before shaking to a stop and clinking on the ground.

The silence stretched on, and a gentle but cold breeze stirred up dust and caused their hair to flutter in the wind. Soul bowed his head, clenching his fists at his sides. Maka tried to keep from punching herself.

"_How could I say that?!_" She wanted to scream, but instead, she walked over to where the ring had fallen. She picked it up slowly, looking over the miniscule emeralds embedded in the top of the silver finish. She looked back at Soul, and her heart clenched in her chest when she saw his shoulders shake and heard small, short breaths. Maka had never seen her partner cry before, and tears threated to push at the corners of her own eyes when she saw his sorry state, but she pushed it down and walked back towards him.

Soul didn't even look up as Maka sat in front of him. "Hey," She said softly. When Soul turned his gaze upwards to meet hers, Maka held the ring out. Soul's eyes widened. She was giving it back to him. She wanted him to return it, and to get a refund. He didn't think his hopes could be crushed any smaller, but now they had been ground into dust. His vision blurred as more tears threatened to spill down the wet tracks that traced his jawbone.

But as he continued to watch her, Maka pointedly took the ring and placed it around her own finger. It fit perfectly.

Maka held her hand out, admiring her new adjournment. She turned to smile at Soul. "Worth it," She beamed. Her fiancé stared at her, blinking a few times. Suddenly he lurched forward, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Maka closed her eyes as she returned the hug, holding him and stroking his snow-white hair with one of her soft hands. She pieced together his heart with that gentle touch, and months later, she slipped a gold band on one of his own fingers.

The price of the wedding didn't matter. When it came to each other, they were always worth it.

* * *

**Fluff is fun; I like writing it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! Drop a review and let me know what you think. One chapter left; let's make it count!**


	7. Coming of Age

**And here's the last day of SoMa week. Though these were fun to write, I can't say that I'm not glad I'm done. I hope you all enjoy the last chapter, and maybe I'll put some future SoMa oneshots here. Hard to tell. Anyways, thanks for reading this far!**

**SoMa Week 2015**

**Day 7: Coming of Age**

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Description: Soul was set to receive his inheritance from his parents whenever he reached the age of eighteen, but after years without contact, his parents are less than generous. They demand that Soul must return home to receive his fortune, forcing him to choose between the money he was counting on and his life in Death City.

* * *

There were times when Soul considered going back. Life as a weapon was hard, not to mention literally maddening. His life had been put on the line countless times, and he had more bruises and scars than he could count.

However, as soon as he regretted his choice to move to Death City, he pushed the thought away, and reminded himself that he now knew what freedom tasted like. Freedom could come with ups and downs, and could turn around to slice into your chest as soon as it would give you the ability to express yourself, but Soul quickly realized that he loved that thrill. He was no longer restricted, nor conformed. He had broken outside societal norms and expectancies before, but now he could do it without consequence. There were little things he could do now, like being able to slouch and baring his teeth at those who irritated him. But he could also play his own music, both literally and figuratively. He now had the strength defend the world, and had done so multiple times. His talents as a weapon and pianist weren't wasted or shunned anymore, but embraced and utilized. Nothing could compare to that. In addition, the friends he had made in Death City were too high a cost to pay to return back to his former life.

Last but not least, there was Maka. Maka was his life, the first person to uncover his potential as a weapon, friend, musician, and more recently, a lover. If Soul left her for any reason, not the least of which to return to his family, he'd never be able to forgive himself.

Soul had revealed his address in Death City to Richard and Elise Evans after the fall of Asura. Sending them a letter telling how he had become a hero, and that his meister was _the _Maka Albarn, he had expected his parents to be proud. Instead, he had received an entirely different response. His parents had replied with a note that declared Soul's actions outrageous. The Evans family is not one of barbarians. He could've been killed. Soul's place was back with his family, living a safe and peaceful life. What struck Soul was their threat.

_If you fail to return home before your eighteenth birthday, you will be denied your inheritance and your place in our will._

It sounded ridiculous, but Soul knew his parents well enough to realize that they were as serious as the grave; they were practically going to disown him if he didn't go back to Wales by the time he turned eighteen.

Soul had never breathed a word of his situation to Maka. He rarely even talked about his family, and he didn't want to burden her with his own problems. However, as Soul's birthday crept closer and closer, he continued to be pressured with his upcoming decision. It didn't really seem hard; Soul would always choose Maka over an inheritance. Still, being disowned by his own parents was something he couldn't overlook. He knew he'd have to tell Maka about what was going on.

Soul's idea of breaking the news was to buy two plane tickets to Wales.

Maka was reading her book at the table, lingering after the evening meal, when Soul presented the papers to her. The blonde passively glanced at them before directing her gaze back towards her book.

"What are those, Soul?" She asked as her partner sat down. The latter sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Plane tickets," He said slowly, "For Wales."

Maka was silent for a moment, before she plucked her bookmark out from her book's back cover and slid it between the pages to mark her place. She then closed the cover of the book before glancing up at Soul. "Why did you get tickets for Wales?" She questioned further.

Soul didn't meet her eyes. "Because I… We need to go."

"Soul, be specific."

The scythe sighed; he was only dragging out the inevitable. He produced another paper from his pocket: the letter from his parents. He pushed it forward and into Maka's waiting hand. She snatched it up, her trained eyes scanning the note quickly. Her expression became more shocked the more she read.

"They're threatening to _disown _you?!" She exclaimed, slamming her fist down on the table after her fingers closed around the crumpled letter. "That's insane!"

Soul hadn't expected her to blow up that quickly. He was anticipating more questions, such as why he hadn't talked about his parents before or why had he moved to Nevada all the way from Wales. Instead, he was met with anger. She was genuinely upset for the injustice he was receiving.

"They've always been high-class," Explained Soul. "They don't want me affiliated with them."

"Who in their right mind _wouldn't _want to have the honor of saying their son saved the world?!" Maka practically screamed.

Soul sighed again. "Not everyone's a Death Child, Maka. A lot of the world thinks we're weird."

Maka glared at the letter. "Yeah, I get that," She grumbled, trying to subdue herself. "But that's no reason to disown your son."

"That's why we're going to Wales," Soul said.

"So I can give them a piece of my mind?"

"No," Soul corrected quickly, "So I can try to reason with them. You can help, just don't hit anyone with a book. Okay?"

Maka looked about ready to boil over; her previous efforts to calm down her rage weren't working well. She took a deep breath, and then slowly released it. "All right," She muttered.

That was how they found themselves in Cardiff the next week, looking around the airport parking lot for the Mercedes that Wes Evans was going to pick them up in.

"So your parents got your brother a new Mercedes as his first car?" Maka gaped as they wandered around cars, towing their bags. "How rich are these people?"

"Filthy rich," Muttered Soul in reply, as a hand began waving to them from down the row of cars. Soul's lips formed a smile as he waved back. "That's Wes," He said, rushing forward. Maka had to run to keep up as the brothers fist-bumped and performed some sort of signature handshake that she couldn't make sense of.

"You still remember that?" Beamed Soul as Wes chuckled.

"Of course," He replied. He sounded nearly exactly like Soul, but spoke with a Welsh accent. "You sound almost American, Soul. And how long have you been taller than me?" He grinned, but then noticed Maka. "So this is the famous Maka Albarn?" He smiled.

Soul reached out and grabbed Maka's hand possessively. "Don't even think about it, Wes," He mumbled.

Wes smirked, displaying pointed canines, but the rest of his teeth were normal. "I was just going to say that you made a good choice, Soul," He said. He looked towards Maka again. "Might I load your bags into the boot, Ms. Albarn?"

Maka smiled back at him. "If you want," She said. Wes gave a dainty little bow, before gently taking Maka's bags and placing them in the trunk. The blonde turned to Soul.

"I like your brother," She giggled. Soul gained a slightly jealous expression, but his minimal scowl fell from his face when Maka kissed his cheek. "Don't worry; I'm always yours," She told him. Soul smirked, leaning down to return the kiss to Maka's lips.

Wes gave them about ten seconds before he cleared his throat, startling Maka a little into pulling away. Soul looked disappointed. "You can snog in the back of the car, if you like," He chucked, causing both of their faces to flush red. Wordlessly, Soul opened the back door for Maka, who slid inside. Soul followed suit while Wes walked around to the front, smirking to himself.

"After meeting Wes, it's hard to imagine that your parents are that bad," Maka admitted.

Soul shook his head after he buckled in, setting his arm around Maka's shoulders. "You read the letter, Maka," He said. "They're not the nicest of people."

Maka shrugged a little. "Maybe they didn't really mean it," She suggested. Soul sighed, but didn't say any more on the subject. However, after arriving at the Evans' estate, Maka was quickly proved wrong.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Elise Evans snapped at Soul. She didn't seem worried for her son after not seeing him in years, nor did she even say "hello." She directed her chastising gaze between Maka and Soul. "Who's the girl?"

Soul gripped Maka's hand reassuringly. "Mom, this is Maka," He began, but Elise snapped her fingers in his face.

"Not another word in that accent," She demanded. "It doesn't become you."

Soul resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Sorry, Mum," He apologized monotonously with his original Welsh pronunciation, but Maka barely hid her shock. It was strange to suddenly hear her boyfriend speak in such a different voice. "As I was saying, this is Maka, my meister and girlfriend."

Elise looked over Maka judgingly. "Well, I hope she's not the best America has to offer," She muttered, causing Maka to narrow her eyes at her. "Come inside, we'll discuss more pressing matters over tea."

Maka crossed her arms huffily, but Wes strode up behind her. "Don't mind Mum. She's a bit spotty; her definition of beauty includes Princess Katherine and no other," He said jokingly, but Maka's mood didn't lift, even as they sat at the large dining table and were served tea in periwinkle china.

"So, Soul," Began Richard Evans, sipping his tea between sentences, "May we assume that, because you have come home, you will not be returning to Death City?"

"If he's staying, that prat better not be staying too," Muttered Elise. Richard shot her a slightly reproachful look.

"Elise," He snapped a little.

Wes held out a platter of flat pastries to Maka. "Welsh cake?" He offered softly. Maka smiled as best she could, accepting two of the small treats as she tried not to grab the book from her bag and threaten Soul's parents with it.

Soul took a deep breath. "Actually, no," He said. Richard looked confused and Elise looked startled as Soul continued, "I'm going back to Nevada within the week."

"Soul!" Spluttered his mother, "This-! This is outrageous!" She cried. "You've come all this way to tell us that you'll remain in that dreadful city, ruled by-!" She gulped a little, "D-death, no less! It's atrocious!"

Soul remained calm. "Actually, I came here hoping to convince you to reconsider," He said. Elise glared at him and Richard continued to look confused, but Soul spoke on. "To leave Death City would be to leave my education," He explained, trying to appeal to them. "I have a future in what I'm doing. I'm making money, I have a comfortable home, and if you force me to come back, I won't have experience in the education that matters to this society."

Maka tried to keep from staring at her boyfriend. She had never seen him this diplomatic.

"I also wanted to show you," He continued, "What I look like."

Richard finally seemed to find his voice. "Well, we can see that," He said. "You've grown into a grand looking young man."

"One better fitted to this society," Interjected Elise, "Rather than that of Death City."

"But he already explained why it would be difficult for him to come back," Began Richard, but Elise silenced him with a glare.

"All good things come with difficulty," She retorted.

"What I _meant _was," Soul said loudly, bringing his parents' attention back to him, "I want you to see my weapon form."

Elise gasped. Wes appeared intrigued, while Richard's expression bordered on frightened. But before anyone could get a word in edgewise, Soul stood from his seat and backed away from the table. "Maka," He signaled, and his meister nodded. She followed him, standing as well and holding her palm out, and Soul grasped it as his form began to glow and swirl with energy. Richard seemed ready to faint.

For one brief moment, Soul entirely consisted of condensed light. Suddenly, with a resounding clang of metal, he handed in Maka's waiting hand and assumed his solid weapon form. Wes stared, excited as Maka carefully twirled her partner around, weaving him through the air with delicate precision.

Elise made the strangest squeaking sound as her son's blade came dangerously close to knocking over furniture, but Maka was too skilled to let even the smallest flower be swiped from its vase.

Soul began to prod Maka's soul slightly. The blonde stopped for a minute, confused, but then she understood his cue.

The Evans family was nearly thrown backward when weapon and meister screamed in unison; "Let's go; Soul Resonance!"

The vibrant colors of Witch Hunter filled the room, shining in a soul-powered spectrum.

The demonstration left Richard and Elise speechless, causing Wes to lead his brother and Maka to their rooms after they were done.

"I believe that Mum and Dad have a few things to discuss before they call on you again," He said. "Soul may stay in his own room, and Maka may take the guest room next to it," Smiled the violinist. Soul nodded in response, and Wes then strode back to the dining room. Maka flinched a little when she heard intense arguing come from that room.

"Sounds like someone's still pretty mad at you," She murmured to her boyfriend, who shrugged.

"Yeah, but if they're arguing, that means at least one of them is on my side," He smirked a little. "I think our little demo helped."

Maka looked up at him, suppressing a giggle before she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You've got to use that Welsh accent more often; it's pretty cute," She smiled. Soul chuckled and kissed her softly.

It was an entire hour later that Soul and Maka were called back into the dining room. Elise looked stoic and slightly grumpy, and Richard appeared to be fidgeting somewhat, but Wes looked smug.

"Soul," Began Richard staggeringly, "We… Your mother and I, and Wes, we've… Put some more thought into the situation regarding your inheritance. Elise?" He spoke, prompting her.

Elise stared at Soul with a gaze like stone for a minute, but then she abruptly spoke; "What you did earlier… That was just with the energy of your soul?"

Soul blinked. The question had thrown him off-guard. "Erm…"

"Soul Lucas Evans," Snapped his mother harshly, "Answer me."

"Yes ma'am!" He blurted out. Elise nodded, a scrutinizing expression on her face.

"And only Maka can bring that out in you? You can't do it yourself?"

Soul shook his head. "No, ma'am."

"Hm," Elise hummed a little, still frowning. She ran her finger around the rim of her teacup for a moment in silence. "Then I suppose you have truly found your soulmate, then?"

Soul's heart skipped a beat. Was she giving him a chance? "Yes, ma'am," He said. "We know things about each other that we never could've learned just by having a normal relationship. Ours is special."

Elise was quiet once again, and she glanced down at the table. Slowly, she sighed. "A relationship that is the most precious in the world, but can only be obtained by fighting alongside your soulmate," She murmured softly to herself. She looked up at Soul once more, her expression impossible to read. "It seems as if your very soul has chosen your destiny," She spoke. "Initially, I would've denied it and forced you to choose another path, but when that level of strength is revealed to me," She paused again, but then she continued, "It's impossible to deny what one has seen before their very eyes without playing a fool."

Soul's eyes widened as she continued, "It would be wrong of me to fight something so much higher than ourselves." Soul thought he saw the ghost of a smile grace his mother's lips as she spoke, "You may keep your inheritance."

Soul stared at her, in shock, but Maka cheered and threw her arms around him. "That's great, Soul!" She beamed, while her partner slowly processed that he was off the hook.

"But I expect more correspondence," Elise added, "You must send a letter at least once a month; am I clear?"

Soul nodded quickly, speechless. Wes grinned and patted his brother on the back.

"Looks as if coming of age wasn't such a bad thing, was it?" He chuckled.

Soul finally smiled, wrapping his arms around Maka as well. "I guess," He replied, kissing her once.

"Now, now!" Exclaimed Richard, finally speaking up, "You mustn't kiss a girl in front of your family without properly introducing her first!"

The red-eyed teen smiled, turning Maka to face his family. "Mum, Dad, this is Maka," He said, his arm soundly around the blonde, "My meister, and the coolest girlfriend in the world."

* * *

**This incorporates a little headcanon of mine that Soul is Welsh. I know everyone has different opinions regarding the Evans' nationality, but I've been to Wales. Nearly every third person has the last name "Evans." It's just likely. Also, given that Wales is "The Land of Song," musical interest and talent and abundant there. (At least in my personal experience. The Welsh like to sing.) Anyway, that's my little headcanon surrounding the Evans'. Thanks for reading all my entries for SoMa week, everyone! I hope you continue to enjoy my writing!**

_**A sound Soul…**_

_**Dwells within a sound Mind,**_

_**And a sound Body.**_


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